Rod driver



1962 w. M. MATHENY, JR, ETAL 3,034,588

ROD DRIVER Filed July 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l V IWENTORS WADE M.MATHENY,JR. GEORGE R. HEILMAN MZfl%/ y 1962 w. M. MATHENY, JR., ETAL3,034,588

Filed July 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sh 2 Win i n u u n p n i 5 INVENTORS WADEM. MATHENY,JR. GEORGE R. HEILMAN wwwwwwwm ATTORNEY United States PatentOfiice 3,634,588 Patented May 15, 1952 3,034,588 ROD DRIVER Wade M.Matheny, Jr., and George R. Heilman, St.

Albans, W. Va., assignors to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation ofNew York Filed July 23, 1958, Ser. No. 750,455 4 Claims. (Cl. 175-156)This invention relates to rod drivers, and more particularly to aneffective device for driving metal ground rods of the type employed formaking electrical ground connections, a principal object of theinvention being the provision of a rod driving device which permitsapplication of force along the length of any part of a rod for thepurpose of driving it into the ground.

An object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple andinexpensive device of the above character which effectively clamps,guides and applies force to a rod at any given point without the use ofscaffold or other superstructure, thereby eliminating hazards andaccidents to personnel involved and materially reducing operationalcosts.

Another more particular object is to provide a rod driving devicecomprising a fixed rod gripping jaw and a movable jaw adapted to clamp arod therebetween in which application of force to the device in clampingengagement is transmitted to the rod by friction.

Another object is to provide a construction for attaching the movablejaw to a handle which provides effective clamping engagement and whichis readily engaged and disengaged with a minimum of effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rod driving device whichcan be utilized for the purpose of driving metal rods out of the ground.

The above and other apparent objects of the invention will appear fromthe following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the rod driving device as appliedto a rod.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the device showing the fixedrod gripping jaw and movable jaw in clamping engagement with a rod.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the movable jaw assembly shown in FIG.2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designatesimilar parts throughout the various views, designates a solid bodymember, preferably of hardened steel construction, which is providedwith a recess 11 located on its top surface. The recess 11 is adapted toreceive the driving head of a power hammer or any other suitableinstrument whose function is to receive the direct force of the hammer.Attached to the lower section of body 10 and extending outwardlytherefrom are a pair of parallel arm members 15 which define a rodreceiving channel 16. Each arm member 15 is attached to body member 10by any suitable means, as by bolts 7, for example, which pass throughthe lower section of the body portion and are fitted with castle nutsand cotter pins.

Vertically located on an elongated fiat sidewall of body member 10 andfacing rod receiving channel 16 at substantially right angles is a fixedrod gripping jaw 19 comprising a set of concave arcuate teeth which, asillustrated in FIG. 2, engage a portion of rod 20. The teeth aremachined out of the metal body member 10 and are slanted downward in thedirection of the force applied to recess 11.

Intermediate the end surface of each parallel arm member 15 and fixedrod gripping jaw 19 are formed opposing slots 22 which extend verticallydownward from the top to the intermediate portion of each arm member andterminate in arcuate depression 23. The

slots 22 are located on the inner side of each arm member 15 and serveas a guide for the pivot pin 28 of yoke 30 which rests in annulardepression 23 when the handle 33 attached thereto is placed in position.

As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, handle 33 has a yoke 30 mountedon one end which comprises parallel arm members 32 and 34. The armmembers, in turn, pivotally support a movable jaw or clamp shoe 35 bymeans of a circular pin 39 which passes through each of the arm members.The handle 33 is of any convenient length that furnishes the necessaryleverage for holding and guiding the rod. Located intermediate the topand bottom of each arm member and projecting outwardly therefrom isauannular pivot pin 28 which extends laterally through each of armmembers 32 and 34. Pivot pin 28 is adapted to be pivotally supported inannular depression 23 of each arm member 15 by way of entry throughvertical slots 22 and the handle 33 is thus fulcrumed to swingvertically through rod receiving channel 16.

The movable jaw or clamp shoe 35 is preferably constructed of hardenedsteel and consists of a series of concave arcuate teeth 36 which areadapted to match those of fixed jaw 19 so as to provide firm engagementunder pressure from handle 33 when a rod 24 is placed therebetween. Theteeth 36 are preferably machined out of the metal of the movable shoe 35and are slanted downward in the same manner as described for fixed rodgripping jaw 19.

An important feature of the invention resides in slanting the teeth offixed jaw 19 and movable jaw 35 in a downward direction. In this mannerwhen a rod is to be driven into the ground and is firmly engaged betweenthe teeth of both jaws 35 and 19, the force applied to recess 11 bymeans of an air hammer or other equipment is transmitted to the rod inthe proper direction by means of friction between the teeth and the rod.

In operation of the rod driving device, the movable jaw 35 attached tohandle 33 is removed from rod receiving channel 16 by means of slots 22.In removing the jaw, handle 33 is disposed in its uppermost position.The parallel arm members 15 are then placed astride a rod and movedupward or downward along the length of the rod to any selected point soas to provide a convenient distance from the ground for driving the roddownward. Thereafter, the movable jaw 35 is operatively positioned bymeans of pivot pin 28 entering slots 22 and resting in depression 23.Leverage is applied to handle 33 by operating personnel and effectiveclamping engagement is thereby obtained between fixed rod gripping jaw19 and movable jaw 35. The driving head of an air hammer or othersuitable instrument is placed in recess 11 and the force applied theretois transmitted to the rod by means of friction between the rod and theteeth of fixed jaw 19 and movable jaw 35. For extracting ground rodswhen underground obstruction proves impossible to penetrate, the roddriving device is merely placed in reversed position and the rod drivenout of the ground. This procedure, obviously, is the reverse applicationof driving a rod into the ground.

In order to prevent operating personnel from inserting the movable jaw35 in the wrong fashion, an elongated slot 38 may be provided on theupper side of yoke 30 between parallel arm members 32 and 34 whereby acentrally located outwardly extending flange 41 on the back side ofmovable jaw 35 may lie parallel therein. The dimensions of opposingslots 22 and pin 28 are then constructed so that the movable shoe 35 canbe operatively positioned only when the flange 41 rests in slot 38.

The metal rods, pipe, and the like which may be driven into the groundby the rod driving device of this invention include, for example, rodshaving a diameter up to abouLtwo and one-half inches. Interchangeablejaws having matched teeth for both the fixed rod gripping jaw :19 andmovable jaw 35 may be employed for each or one inch may be used for rodshaving a diameter of inch to /2 inch and inch to 1% inches, respective-'ly. A tooth size of 2 inches will accommodate rods ranging in diameterfrom 4' inch to 2 /2 inches. Although the teeth of both jaws arepreferably arcuate, the teeth of the movable jaw maybe fiat since inconjunction with the arcuate teeth of fixed jaw 19 there is suificientholding force.

The work piece driven into the ground is usually of circular section,however rods of hexagonal or octagonal section may be easily drivenprovided there are enough longitudinal surface faces to afford firmengagement for the teeth. The only limitation on length of the rod isimposed by the tendency of long, thin rods or pipes to bend. In generalthe smaller the diameter of the work piece, the shorter the length thatmay be driven into the ground. The material of which the work piece isconstructed is limited to metals and hard woods of sulficient strengthto withstand distortion by the resistance of the ground to the forceapplied. 7

The subject rod driving device can be used wherever it is necessary todrive long, heavy metal rods or pipes into the ground and has been foundparticularly suited for driving metal rods for making electrical groundcon- Other contemplated uses for the rod driving nections. deviceinclude the driving of metal fence posts, light standards, signstandards, anchor bolts, and the like.

As is apparent from the above description, operation of the rod driveris accomplished at ground level without the aid of a scafiold or othersuperstructure which thus reduces operational costs and substantiallyeliminates the danger of accidents and injury to operating personnel.Numerous modifications are apparent in view of the foregoingspecification and it is not intended to-limit the invention to theprecise embodiment illustrated. All suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rod driving device comprising, in combination, a solid body memberhaving a recess located on its top surface, parallel arm membersdefining a rod receiving channel perpendicularly attached to the lowerportion of said body member, a fixed rod gripping jaw comprising a setof downwardly slanting concave arcuate teeth located on the side of saidbody member and facing the rod receiving channel, a yoke memberpivotally supported by said arm members within said rod receivingchannel, a movable jaw comprising a set of downwardly slanting concavearcuate teeth pivotally attached to said yoke member and facing thefixed rod gripping jaw, and handle means attached to said yoke memberwhereby the application of leverage thereto provides elfective clampingengagement of a rod disposed between the fixed rod gripping jaw andmovable jaw.

2. A rod driving device comprising a body having a recess in the topthereof, arms attached to said body defining a rod receiving channel, afixed rod gripping jaw on the side of said body facing said channel, ayoke pivoted between said arms, a movable jaw pivoted substantially atthe center thereof within said yoke and facing said fixed jaw, the depthof said channel and the vertical extent of the gripping face of saidjaws being greater than the width of said channel to provide a longgripping area, and a handle on said yoke for urging the pivot of saidmovable jaw substantially horizontally toward said fixed jaw to provideclamping engagement substantially uniformly over said long grippingarea.

3. A rod drivingdevice as claimed in claim 2, in which said pivoted jawhas downwardly slanting concave teeth distributed. above and below thepivot thereof.

4. A rod driving device as claimed in claim 2, in which the inner sideof each arm has a slot and an annular depression removably receiving thepivot of said yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS416,903 Danielson Dec. 10, 1889 749,318 Morris Jan. 12, 1904 891,157Freeman June 16, 1908 968,022 Abbott et aI. Aug. 23, 1910 1,042,873Bet-ts Oct. 29, 1912 1,112,192 Callan Sept. 29, 1914 1,469,911 AumillerOct. 9, 1923 2,330,360 Hill Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 233,527 GreatBritain May 14', 1925 152,315 Austria Ian. 25, 1938

